Samuel Rodman '21 Recruiting Profile

Running was first introduced to me by my mom. We would run turkey trots and community races together throughout the year and even go on long runs on the weekends. In seventh grade cross country was added at my middle school, and it was the first time I took running seriously and ran with a team.  It was during this first season of cross country that I truly fell in love with running and all of the lessons that came with it, such as how to set and achieve goals, how to be a leader, and self-discipline. I knew then that running was something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life, and that there were no limits to what I could accomplish.

My freshman year of cross country was difficult, as I struggled to take in the new environment of high school and the competitiveness of high school athletics. As someone who admittedly likes to win, I had to learn to find motivation and ambition within myself through setting goals, eating healthy, training hard, and always aiming for a PR. Most importantly, I learned the value of being on a team and what it means to encourage your teammates, celebrate with them, and push them to be the best they can be. By winter track season, I had fallen back into love with the sport of running and realized that it is much more than where you stand on a podium. In my freshman year of track, I also learned that my passion was middle distance running which helped me to achieve even more. In that season, I ran at New Balance Nationals in the mile for the first time.

Cross country during my sophomore year was much more fruitful, as I ran a time of 16:20. Although I didn't make it to the state meet that year, I was newly excited at what I could achieve during track season. In track, I worked harder than ever and earned 5th and 4th place finishes at the state meet. 

As a junior, I work hard every day at practice to be an supportive and inspiring leader to my younger teammates. I was a team captain this year during cross country where our small and young program performed tremendously. I won the district meet where gave my gold medal to our fifth runner. I also went on to place tenth at the state meet.  Now, I have many personal and team goals for track season, all of which I wish to achieve with focus and determination but also with the support from my family, friends, and teammates. I hope to lead our 4x8 team to a state birth while personally winning the 1000M with a goal of 2:26 and running at New Balance Nationals. By the end of high school, I hope to run a 1:50 800M, a sub 4:20 1600M, and a 15:30 5k.

My most important aspiration is that I will be remembered by my teammates and classmates, high school and college, as uplifting and encouraging. I hope that I inspire others on and off the track to never limit themselves and to be a beacon of positivity for those around them.